The free walking group is part of Cancer Council Queensland's c-vivor program and is facilitated by volunteers every week in Southport.

Running for more than two years now, it offers gentle physical activity in a social group of people in a similar situation.

But not everyone suffering the effects of cancer are well enough to walk each week.

So to allow more people to access this peer support, the group have introduced a monthly book club.

"We found that a lot of people who had been diagnosed with cancer, they might be in treatment or doing whatever they're going, they may not be physically able or well enough to participate in the walking group so we introduced the book club to give them a second option to still be in this environment, still continue to be part of the group," says group leader, Rayna Bond.

Rayna says the Gold Coast is home to many isolated cancer sufferers.

"Because the Gold Coast is such a transient population all of the time, a lot of people arrive here, they don't have a lot of family, they don't have a lot of friends, and then they get diagnosed with a cancer of some type.

"They feel very isolated and withdrawn from the community so when they come to us it's a family sort of environment... if they want to pour their heart out they can, if they just want to be around other people they can.

"So I've seen a lot of people build their confidence and open up doors, get out of their house, and not be so isolated."

Listen to the audio to hear from a group of ladies who regularly attend the walking group and book club, as they share their stories and discuss how the group helps them and their struggles.

More information:

Rayna says anybody who has been diagnosed with cancer, whether it be recently or a long time ago, are welcome to join both the weekly walk and the monthly book club

The walking class is held every Thursday at 9am and meets at Cancer Council Queensland's Southport office (corner Marine Parade and Short Street).

Every four weeks at 10am (after the walking session) the book club is held at the Cancer Council rooms.

The Gold Coast Cancer Council team can be contacted on (07) 5503 3700.